Malaysia wants Indonesian maids back, but baulks on pay raise

Feb 1, 2010, 12:40 GMT

Kuala Lumpur - The government said it would ask Indonesia to lift an eight-month ban on sending maids to work in Malaysia, but would not increase salaries by as much requested by Jakarta, a news report said Monday.

Human Resources Minister S Subramaniam said a meeting between labour officials of the two countries this month could end the ban, adding that the outstanding issue was salaries for Indonesian maids.

Following a spate of maid-abuse cases last year, Jakarta decided in June to impose a temporary freeze on sending its workers to Malaysia until labour laws were amended to protect the maids.

Indonesians account for some 85 per cent of the country's 300,000 foreign maids, and they currently receive base monthly salaries from 500 ringgit (142 dollars). Jakarta has asked for a salary increase to 800 ringgit, but Malaysia wants to negotiate for a lesser pay hike.

'Our aim is to reduce the salaries Malaysians have to pay for the maids. We have held two meetings with them and hope to reach an amicable solution soon,' Subramaniam was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times daily.

Indonesian maids are currently the lowest-paid foreign maids in the country, with Filipino workers commanding the highest base monthly salary of 900 ringgit.

The maids are not given days off and many are not permitted to hold their own passports or bank account books, leading to numerous cases of employers withholding the workers' salaries.